Relative Hardness of Heel Lifts and Heel Cushions

Which heel pad is right for me?

Relative firmness of heel cushions and heel lifts

We had a customer contact us this week to ask about the relative hardness of each of our heel lifts and heel cushions. I thought I'd convey the conversation to you through a blog post.

What is the difference between a heel liftand a heel cushion? Heel lifts are intentionally firm and are used to raise the heel. Heel lifts are not intended to compress and are used to raise the heel. Raising the heel is indicated in:

Heel Cushions

Why are some lifts in the cushion section and some cushions in the lift section? Some of our lifts and cushions cross over. Either a lift has to be soft enough to be considered a cushion and a cushion firm enough to be a lift.

I spend a lot of time on my feet in a warehouse and have recurring heel pain. I need something that will stand up to being used many hours of the day. Which of your softer heel cushions would you say is the most durable? Or would I need a heel lift instead? Thank you!

Dr. Jeffrey

Created on:11/30/2018 8:55 AM

Hi Beth, The choice of which heel lift or heel cushion to use is all dependent upon what you're trying to treat. That's why we rely so much on Medically Guided Shopping™ to help find the right diagnosis and the right product for each condition. About the only time I'm going to recommend a heel cushion is in cases of atrophy of the fat pad of the heel. Something like our Gel Heel Cushions are going to be a good choice. But if the heel pain is due to plantar fasciitis or Achilles tendinitis, then you're not going to find a cure with a cushion. That's where you need a heel lift. Using a lift is intended to weaken the force of the calf and the Achilles tendon. My go to has always been our Cork Heel Lifts since they're light weight, inexpensive and can be trimmed to fit the shoe. Hope this helps.Jeffrey A. Oster, DPM Medical Director Myfootshop.com